ROOK. 97 



that Rooks build every year in the heart of the city of 

 Edinburgh. 



Rooks are supposed to exhibit a degree of sagacity un- 

 usual in birds, in selecting or avoiding certain trees. " At 

 an old mansion, not far from London, surrounded by a 

 number of very fine elms, a singular mark of the sagacity 

 of Rooks was recently observed. Many of these trees had 

 become very old, and it was therefore determined to fell a 

 few of them every year, and plant young ones in their 

 place. The oldest of the trees were accordingly condemned 

 to be felled, and a portion of the bark taken off to indicate 

 those which were to come down. These trees were soon 

 forsaken by the Rooks, and it was subsequently observed 

 that immediately after any of the other elms were marked 

 in a similar manner, the Rooks at once forsook the trees, as 

 if fully aware that the removal of the bark was a notice for 

 them to quit." Another instance is thus noticed : " Mr. 

 Wingate, steward to Mr. Templer, of Lindridge, remarked 

 in various years, that certain trees were not built upon by 

 the Rooks; if one nest were built, the others destroyed 

 it ; and he invariably found that such trees were decayed, 

 and were generally blown down during some storm." I am 

 disposed in these cases to believe that the age, or incipient 

 decay of the trees, had produced its effect on the upper 

 branches, and that the Rooks found these twigs less fit for 

 their purpose than those of more healthy trees which were 

 close by. 



The balance between injury or benefit derived from 

 Rooks by the agriculturist is a question which general 

 opinion seems to have settled, by considering that the 

 occasional injury is much more than counterbalanced by 

 the amount of benefit conferred in the consumption of 

 thousands of destructive grubs of the common cock-chaffer, 

 the wire-worms of several sorts, and, as mentioned by Mr. 



VOL. II. H 



